Alfa Laval begins using SSAB Zero™ in large scale production

In its ambition to produce the world’s first heat exchanger with no fossil carbon emissions by 2030, Alfa Laval has taken a huge step forward by using SSAB Zero™ in the serial production of one of its bestselling products.

Alfa Laval first began using pilot deliveries of fossil-free steel from SSAB to produce prototype heat exchangers in 2022. Now, with access to larger volumes of SSAB Zero™, the company has begun using the new steel in commercial scale when producing the frames in its T21 gasketed plate heat exchangers. The manufacturing is taking place at Alfa Laval’s facility in Lund, Sweden and is reducing CO₂ emissions up to 39% on the unit itself.

“Using SSAB Zero™ will help us fulfill our commitment to net zero while also helping our customers reach their decarbonization targets,” says Julien Gennetier, President Business Unit Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers, Alfa Laval.

We will push some technology boundaries in order to decarbonize all components, so that we do not affect the heat exchanger’s performance. SSAB Zero™ offers the same performance for our applications as the traditional steel we are using, so it is less challenging for us.

Julien Gennetier, President Business Unit Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers at Alfa Laval.

Contributing to carbon reductions across multiple industries

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heat exchangers and other industrial equipment, Alfa Laval’s products are used in a broad range of industries, including food production, chemical processing, industrial heating and cooling just to name a few. The one common denominator across them all is a need to reduce carbon emissions across the spectrum.

“Our heat exchangers are already helping customers reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions through improved energy efficiency,” explains Gennetier. “The fact that we can now also help them reduce their Scope 3 emissions, by using steel like SSAB Zero™, is a big step for us both.”

SSAB Zero™ is made from recycled steel and produced using fossil-free electricity and biogas. As a result, it has virtually zero fossil emissions during steel production.

Towards a heat exchanger without fossil emissions

Alfa Laval’s ambition to produce the first-ever heat exchanger with no fossil emissions falls under its Concept Zero™ initiative, where it aims to eliminate all emission across the product’s lifespan, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.

In the long-term, this will require low carbon alternatives for the other materials in its heat exchangers too, such as stainless steel, titanium and gaskets. Securing long-term availability and affordability of low carbon alternatives at scale will be crucial to reach our target. However, SSAB Zero™ offers an excellent first step, not only because steel accounts for so much of the content of a heat exchanger, but also because of the ease in which it can replace traditional steel.

“We will have to push some technology boundaries in order to decarbonize every single component, so that we do not affect the heat exchanger’s performance. But this is not the case for SSAB Zero™. It offers the same performance for our applications as the traditional steel we are already using, so it is less challenging for us.”

Plans to expand the usage of SSAB Zero™

In conjunction with decarbonizing the rest of the T21 heat exchanger, Alfa Laval also plans to expand its usage of SSAB Zero™ into more products, as well as onto its other manufacturing sites.

“Partnerships with companies like SSAB are really important if we are to fulfill our climate ambitions,” says Gennetier. “It's a big undertaking to decarbonize and reach net-zero, across so many industries, and we will not solve it alone. We can’t just pass the problem onto the next player in the value chain – we need to work together with our suppliers and our customers to find solutions.”

The partnership is also essential for SSAB, which gains valuable insights that can be used in its research and development towards decarbonized steel.

“We will not succeed in this sustainability journey unless we do it together with our partners and customers,” says Eva Petursson, Head of Research and Innovation, SSAB. “Alfa Laval has the same high ambitions and visions for the future as SSAB. Through our partnership, we can better understand their markets and then develop more sustainable products that meet both their needs and those of their end-users.”

About Alfa Laval

Alfa Laval is a global leader in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling technologies.
The company was founded in 1883 in Lund, Sweden.
Alfa Laval has a presence in over 100 countries, with a network of service centers and sales offices worldwide.